Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship for Early-Career Fiction Writers
www2.fundsforngos.org – Saturday September 12, 2026
Deadline: 13-Oct-26
The Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship Program offers a year-long mentorship, classes, professional development opportunities, and a $2,000 stipend to an early-career fiction writer whose work explores experiences of embodied difference.
The fellowship supports writers who have not yet published a book and whose fiction examines the complexities of inhabiting bodies of difference. The programme is open to writers worldwide, regardless of nationality or country of residence.
About the Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship Program
The fellowship is designed to support an emerging fiction writer in developing their craft and advancing a story collection or novel in progress.
BBC Writers Open Call - An Important Update
bbc.co.uk – Friday September 11, 2026
At BBC Writers we're always thinking about how we can make our writer development opportunities more accessible and easier to navigate. As part of our ongoing commitment to discovering and developing new writing talent from across the UK and Republic of Ireland, we're making some changes to the way writers apply for our professional development opportunities in 2026/27.
A Single Point of Entry
The Open Call 26/27 will be a single application route for writers applying to three of our regular talent development programmes:
All applicants will automatically be considered for our Voices and Scripted opportunities as usual, but this year applicants who identify as deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent can also indicate if they would like to also be considered for the Writers’ Access Group.
This single point of entry is designed to make the process clearer and more accessible, while ensuring that we continue to identify and support a broad range of talented writers.
Writers’ AI Fears Often Run Ahead of the Facts
janefriedman.com – Friday September 11, 2026
The biggest questions I get right now about AI:
- How do I protect myself from an agent or publisher (or other publishing professional) using AI on my work?
- How do I protect myself from a false accusation of AI use?
- How can I prove that I wrote my work and/or how can I prove that my particular AI use is not a problem or doesn’t run afoul of agent/publisher guidelines?
Unfortunately, these questions don’t have straightforward answers.
How do writers protect themselves from publishing professionals using AI tools on their work without permission?
First things first, be sure to read any available policy from the agent, publisher or publishing professional about their AI use. Increasingly you’ll find a statement on their website, in their submission guidelines, or other documents they provide authors. If you can’t find one, ask. Generally you can trust them to keep their word, although I admit trust can be in short supply these days.
Fresh Words Announces Three International Calls for Submissions for 2026 Anthologies
firstwriter.com – Friday September 11, 2026
Fresh Words – An International Literary Magazine has opened three new calls for submissions for forthcoming global anthologies, inviting poets, flash‑fiction writers, playwrights, and theatre‑makers worldwide to contribute original work. All opportunities are free to enter, open internationally, and accept submissions in English.
The City in Three Lines – Urban Haiku Anthology
Writers are invited to capture the fleeting moments of city life in haiku—everything from rain‑slick streets and crowded buses to rooftop quiet, urban wildlife, and the unexpected beauty found in everyday places. Submit: Up to 7 haiku Deadline: September 30, 2026 Email: specialanthologyfreshwordsmag@gmail.com Publication: October 2026
Tiny Revolutions – Flash Fiction Anthology
This collection seeks 100–300‑word stories exploring small acts of rebellion, courage, resistance, or transformation. Submissions may be contemporary, historical, speculative, surreal, comic, or experimental. Length: 100–300 words Deadline: September 30, 2026 Email: specialanthologyfreshwordsmag@gmail.com
New Literary Agent Listing: Andrea Blatt
firstwriter.com – Friday September 11, 2026
Handles adult fiction and nonfiction with a focus on accessible, page‑turning work that provokes emotion, explores the human condition, or illuminates the world. Seeks fiction with strong hooks, satisfying plots, and memorable characters, including book club novels, family sagas, psychological thrillers, and upmarket love stories. In nonfiction, pursues investigative journalism, narrative history, expert‑driven health and science, and socially reflective humor. Open to projects set outside New York City, especially in the Midwest, the American South, or international locations.
Publishing Industry Sales Up in First Half of 2026
publishersweekly.com – Thursday September 10, 2026
Helped by an especially strong June, in which total sales were up 11% over a year ago, revenue for the 1,416 publishers that report results to AAP’s StatShot program increased 3.9% for the first half of 2026.
Adult fiction sales were up 8.2% for the six-month period, driven by a 19.3% jump in June thanks in large part to strong sales of Theo of Golden, released in October 2025, which sold more than 55,000 copies, according to Circana BookScan. Children’s/YA fiction sales rose 1.7% in June and 2.6% for the first half of the year.
Adult nonfiction sales also rallied in June, up 7.1%, but sales were still down 3.5% for the year-to-date. The much smaller children’s/YA nonfiction category had a 38.3% increase in June sales, and a 24.3% gain for the first six months of the year.
These Are the Mistakes New Writers Tend to Make
nofilmschool.com – Tuesday September 8, 2026
Screenwriter Corey Mandell recently sat down for a conversation at Film Courage, where he talked about the mistakes that he most consistently sees new writers make. It’s a fascinating conversation with a lot of great points.
Let’s talk about a few of them, and also one or two of my own points that I’ll try to articulate as well as him.
Writing Without Individuality
This is a great one, but it’s also a tough pill for writers to swallow depending on when in their journey they first hear it. You can be the most talented writer in the world. A master of structure, character growth, naturalistic dialogue, building of suspense, the whole nine yards. However, what separates the good scripts like these from the great ones is the sense that the writer is writing a story in a way that only they could do. We’ve always heard that writing needs to feel personal to you. That’s absolutely true, and you’d be surprised how much heavy lifting this does when it comes to someone wanting to get to know you and to get familiar with your work.
Writing Only With the Intent to Sell
This one kind of goes hand in hand with writing with individuality. A lot of really great writers will start to seek out what’s trending, or what’s selling like hot cakes right now as a way to get their foot in the door. It may seem like a smart advance on the “one for them, one for me” sort of mentality that many artists have adopted over their career.
The secret trap that this creates is sometimes the loss of that individuality we already talked about. The relationship that a writer has with reps, or producers, or anyone that can make their career happen in the industry depends so heavily on timing. You could have the most sellable script in the world, but if the timing isn’t right, you’re still going to get passed on. This is why it’s still important to remain true to your own interests while working. Even if it’s the most unsellable script known to man, if it’s something truly substantive that the right people read, the more interested they will be in your future career, and being proactive about following up with you if the time is right for something else.
New Literary Agent Listing: Natalia Lucas
firstwriter.com – Tuesday September 8, 2026
Handles nonfiction writers and presenters, seeking fresh and diverse talent with bold voices from untraditional spaces. Focuses on politics, parenting, activism and memoir, representing work across writing, broadcasting, live events and commercial opportunities. Does not handle fiction, children’s or YA.
New Publisher Listing: Hypatia Press
firstwriter.com – Monday September 7, 2026
Publishes irreligious and secular books challenging theological, spiritual, and other irrational ideas. Handles creative nonfiction and popular works debunking classical religious concepts and exploring secular perspectives. Seeks proposals that question religious or spiritual assumptions and engage a wider readership.
Major UK and US Christian publishers unite in landmark deal
premierchristian.news – Thursday September 3, 2026
Two of the Christian publishing world’s most established names are joining forces after UK based SPCK Group acquired US publisher Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., creating what the companies describe as the world’s leading independent Christian publisher of theology, biblical studies and Christian trade books.
The deal, announced on 2 September, brings together organisations with more than 300 years of combined publishing history and a backlist of more than 5,000 titles.
Under the agreement, SPCK will provide sales, marketing and distribution for Eerdmans titles in the UK and other international markets, while Eerdmans will provide the same services for SPCK Group books in the United States and Canada.
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